Three Things
by acciosilverdoe
Summary: Complete. Three of the hardest things to say are: "I'm sorry", "help me" and "I love you". Lilly-centric, with some Lilly/Scotty.
1. I'm Sorry

A/N So a friend of mine sent me an email a few days ago with a few quotes and things like that, and one of them was "three of the hardest things to say are _I'm sorr_y, _help me_ and _I love you_", and this idea came to me. Basically, there'll be three chapters, each concentrating on one of the three quotes. This is my first attempt at Cold Case. Oh, and it's Lilly/Scotty, which'll be more obvious later, and mostly Lilly's POV, just not first person because me and first person have a bad relationship. Anyway, that's enough of me talking, hope you enjoy and please review, because I was really nervous about uploading this, which I'm a little confused about as I've never been nervous about uploading before.

Spoilers for 'Wishing', as this is set basically straight after the argument. I couldn't come up with a better scene to use for the "I'm Sorry" part.

Disclaimer: My New Year's resolution was to stop dreaming I owned shows that I never will, so it's not even mine in my dreams. Though I'm not too good with keeping to resolutions...

* * *

I'm Sorry

"I can't help whatever happened nine years ago." Lilly felt her throat tighten and tears sting the back of her eyes, threatening to fall. She looked down, refusing to cry in front of her partner, especially over her stupid sister.

"She's trouble," Lilly said, staring at the floor. Her scarf felt suddenly too tight around her neck, and she air seemed to get several degrees hotter.

"Well, maybe to me she's not," Scotty replied, and Lilly looked back up at him quickly.

"Fine, Scotty, but whoring it out with a cocktail waitress won't bring back your dead girlfriend." She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. She saw the look of pain cross Scotty's face, and she wished more than ever that she could erase the past few seconds.

"What's going on?" Jeffries asked, walking towards the two younger detectives. She could feel him watching them curiously, but she didn't look away from Scotty. What she'd said had hurt him, more than what he'd said had hurt her, and she knew she'd overstepped the mark.

"Nuttin'," Scotty muttered. Lilly turned away and took a couple of steps before stopping, wanting to hear what Jeffries had to say.

Fortunately, he let whatever had just happened slide. "Turns out Nathan was more active in seeing to Colin's future than he said." Lilly took a deep breath to calm her breathing before attempting to speak.

"Yeah, how?"

"Old records in Vermont show he applied to be Colin's guardian," the older detective continued.

"Vermont. That's where he was goin' to school," Scotty replied. Lilly knew to anyone else it would sound like he was okay, but she could hear the reluctance in his voice.

"The registrar at Littlebury has his request for family housing."

"So Colin could live with him," Lilly said, her breath finally returning to normal.

"But he told me it was just a job. That Sarah and Colin were gettin' to be too much for him."

"Might have wanted out, but he was just getting deeper in." Jeffries nodded, walking back towards the elevators.

Lilly glanced around, and saw Scotty hadn't moved. She quickly turned away again as he looked at her, and she took a few more steps towards the doors. Part of her wanted him to follow her, knowing the longer they left it the harder it would be to get things back to normal between them, but part of her wanted him to leave her alone in fear of what else they might say. She carried on walking, pushing the glass doors open and moving out into the cool Philadelphia air.

* * *

Although she'd driven to work that morning, Lilly felt the walk home would do better for her. She unlocked the front door and stepped inside, grateful for the warmth that greeted her. Closing and locking the door behind her, she slipped off her shoes and coat before sitting down on the couch. She smiled when Olivia and Tripod jumped up beside her and mewed quietly as the detective ran her hands through the cats' soft fur.

"Wish I'd had your day, Liv," Lilly muttered. She leaned across and switched the lamp on, then stood up and made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge, followed by the cupboard, frowning when she realized she wasn't hungry, but didn't have any food even if she was. _Gotta get food,_ she thought. _Guess a drink'll have to do._

Pouring herself a glass of water, she took a few sips then returned to the living room. She placed the glass down beside the phone, her hand hovering above the receiver for a few seconds before she picked it up. She dialed the number that she knew by heart and sat down. The dull dial tone seemed never-ending, and she groaned when she was met with the answer machine message.

_"Scotty Valens, leave a message and I'll get back to you."_

Lilly heard the beep but didn't speak straight away, realizing she had no idea what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath, knowing she could hang up, but also that he'd see her number come up as a missed call and know she'd chickened out.

"Uh, hi, Scotty, it's Lil." She paused and took another deep breath. "Look, about earlier...I'm...." She trailed off. Apologizing wasn't something she did often, because she hated admitting she was wrong. "What I said, it was out of order, and I'm...sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry, I just...I'm sorry. Bye." She hung up quickly, replacing the phone on the table. She curled her feet up next to her and laid her head down next to Olivia, sighing at how awkward the message must have sounded. She closed her eyes, wondering if there was any chance of sleep that night.

* * *

A few blocks away, Scotty replayed the message for the third time. He knew Lilly well enough to know how hard apologizing was for her, and the stuttering message she'd left just made that all the more clear. They'd both said things they didn't mean that day, but she'd been the better person and apologized first, no matter how bad it made her feel. He smiled slightly as he stopped the message and walked towards his bedroom. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance of getting their friendship back.

* * *

Two things: 1- the conversation was written from memory so it may be wrong, but I'm pretty confident about it as I know that scene really well. 2-I have no idea how far Lilly and Scotty live apart, so "a few blocks away" will have to suffice. A review would be lovely, just so the nerves are settled :D and I'll update ASAP. Thanks for reading.


	2. Help Me

A/N- Here's a little tip for you, if eyes creep you out like they do me (I'm like Rachel in Friends, seriously), then don't watch Minority Report. It's a great film, but it really grossed me out! Anyway, now that's said, thank you all for the reviews on chapter one. I'm glad you're liking this so far. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Spoilers for "Stalker". This is set post-Stalker; Lilly can't bring herself to go back into the observation room where she was shot. I know technically she asked Scotty to help her by saying "hey", but she didn't say it exactly. Just go with the case they're working on, I didn't want to have to come up with a whole case just for one chapter. It's kinda OOC, sorry. Flashbacks in italics.

Disclaimer: I'm running low on disclaimers right now, so it'll just have to be the basic: I don't own Cold Case, or anything Cold Case related.

* * *

Help Me

"Hey, Lil, Jeffries and Vera are on their way here with Stephen McCarthy," Stillman said, walking towards Lilly's desk. "Has denied any involvement in his wife's murder, apparently." Lilly nodded, barely acknowledging her boss.

"Want me to interview him?" she asked, still not looking up from her desk.

"No, I need you and Scotty to observe, see if you notice anything off about him," he explained. "We know he was there the night she was killed, so it seems he'd know at least who else was there, if not who actually killed her." Lilly looked up and met Stillman's eyes.

"I'll be able to notice anything off if I interview him, boss." Stillman nodded.

"Maybe so, but I'd rather you not interrogating yet," he replied, turning to walk back to his office. Lilly stood and followed him.

"I've been back a week, you don't have to protect me. I'm fine!" she said, trying to disguise the anger in her voice. Stillman stopped and turned back to face her.

"Then observe," he said simply, before retreating into his office and closing the door. Lilly sighed, knowing she couldn't avoid it for much longer.

* * *

"You ready?" Lilly looked up as Scotty approached her. After her conversation with Stillman, she'd moved to the comfort of the break room, hoping a coffee would settle her nerves.

When she didn't reply, Scotty took a step closer. "Lil?" She hesitated before shaking her head.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear. She placed her mug back on the counter and stepped around him, walking out of the room. Scotty watched her leave, wondering what was up, and wishing she'd open up to him. He took a deep breath and followed his partner towards the observation room.

Lilly watched Vera and Jeffries follow McCarthy into the interrogation room. She slowed down when she reached her desk, trying to find something to distract her, but failing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scotty come up beside her and stop.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I can do this alone if you'd rather."

She shook her head. "It's okay, I just need a few seconds. You can go in without me."

"I'd rather wait," he replied, not taking his eyes off her face. _Talk to me, Lil,_ he thought. _Just say 'hey', remember? _

Turning to face her partner, Lilly let out a shaky sigh. "Let's do this," she said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. Scotty followed close behind her as they walked across the office. He was ready to grab her if she tried to bolt, demand she tell him what was really going on. As they reached the door, she placed a hand on the handle and started to push the door open. As the inside of the room came into sight, Lilly screwed her eyes shut, feeling the memories come flooding back.

_"Shoot me!" Lilly yelled as Ed "Romeo" Marteson raised the gun and pointed it towards her. She could feel her heart racing, and her breath quicken, as she yelled for him to shoot. She couldn't hear anything but her own voice and the deafening sound of her heart, and the room seemed to fall away so there was only the two of them left. She could vaguely remember calling Scotty and letting him know where she was._

_"Shoot me now!" She heard herself shout. The sound of the shot brought the room crashing back around her, and she gasped as she felt pain in her right shoulder. She was sure there was another shot, maybe even more than one, but everything seemed distant as she felt her back make contact with the cold wall. She tried to keep herself standing upright, but failed and ended up sinking down towards the floor. _

_"He got me," Lilly muttered, staring straight ahead. She felt someone beside her, putting their arms around her. Scotty. He came. She asked him to come and he came. She heard him yell for the paramedics, the desperation evident in his voice even though she felt so distant. _

Lilly opened her eyes to see a concerned Scotty in front of her. She panicked, suddenly wondering if the flashback was not actually a flashback. She looked around, taking in the office and the lack of pain in her shoulder, relieved to realise she was okay. She noticed the observation room door was now closed, and that somebody was talking to her.

"Lil? Hey, Lil, are you okay?" Scotty's voice was laced with concern, matching his face, and his hands were gripping her arms securely. Lilly looked up into his eyes, her breath uneven and ragged.

"Come on," Scotty said, moving to put his arm around her shoulders and lead her towards the break room. He shook his head at Stillman and Kat, who were watching the partners carefully, to tell them not to interrupt just yet. He quietly closed the door behind him, so not to spook her, and lead her over to the couch. She sat down slowly while he poured her a mug of coffee and sat down beside her. He held the mug out and she took it, but placed it on the floor by her feet.

"Lilly, what happened out there?" Scotty said gently, slipping his hand on top of hers. Her eyes flicked down to look at their hands, but she didn't pull away, much to Scotty's surprise and delight.

"He was there again," Lilly said after a long pause. "Ed was there." Scotty let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and pulled her in closer to his side.

"He's gone, Lil. He's dead now."

"I know. It's just that room." She pushed away from him and stood up, moving to the other side of the room. Scotty hesitated before following her.

"You need me, just say...hey," he whispered.

"I'm fine, Scotty. Just give me a minute, and we can do this," she replied.

"Lil...."

"I'm fine!" she snapped, stepping away from him. Scotty sighed, sensing his partner begin to clam up again.

"You know what, fine! You want to keep this all bottled up, then great, you're good at that." He walked across to the door. "I'll see you in there."

She watched her partner leave, the door slamming behind him, and sighed loudly. _Why do I always do that to him? _she thought, shredding the edge of a poster stuck to the wall. She waited, hoping he'd come back in, but knowing it was unlikely that he would. She walked towards the door, resting her hand on the handle for a moment before bringing herself to open it and walk out. She glanced towards the interrogation rooms, then around the bullpen, before noticing Scotty standing by the lockers. She took a deep breath and walked towards him.

Scotty glanced up as she approached.

"I didn't mean to snap," he whispered as she leant against the wall next to him. He looked around at her.

"Okay," Lilly replied, smiling slightly. She looked away and closed her eyes.

"You just...you gotta start trustin' me, Lil." She nodded.

"I know." Her voice was quiet and he had to lean forwards to hear her clearly. She looked back at him.

"Will you..." Lilly drifted off, pausing for a moment. "Will you help me?" she asked finally, her voice cracking slightly.

Scotty pushed himself away from the wall and took her hand gently, giving her plently of time to pull away. He smiled when she didn't even flinch at his touch.

"Anytime," he said, and led her towards the observation room.

Lilly felt relief wash over her as she walked with Scotty, not caring about walking across the office holding his hand. She didn't need to be scared, because he would help her. She wasn't alone, because he was there for her.

* * *

OK, that went a little off track in the middle, but started and ended pretty much how I wanted. Except the last couple of sentences, they may have been a bit out of place. They're hard to write in-character. Seriously. A review would be lovely. I have some things happening the next few days, but I'll try get the last chapter up as soon as I can.


	3. I Love You

A/N Thanks for the reviews on chapter two, and here's the last chapter. I'm **so so so **sorry about having taken so long for this to be uploaded. Firstly I changed the idea for this around, then decided to watch Bones instead of writing, and then had a lot of birthday things to sort out. But, anyway, it's here now, and I really hope it's OK. I wanted it to be different, but couldn't seem to get it right.

Spoilers for 'The Road'. This is set immediately after they arrive back at PPD. Just a warning that I haven't seen 'The Road', at least I've only seen the part where Scotty beats up John Smith and then when they see the yellow light, but I hope this makes sense.

Disclaimer: I asked for Cold Case for my birthday, but nobody bought it for me. However, I'm totally open to belated presents, if anybody loves me enough? Until then, nothing's mine.

Oh, and this is dedicated to **FloatingAmoeba. **Because, well, it just is. -smiles-

* * *

I Love You

Scotty watched his partner out of the corner of his eye as she quickly collected her things and walked towards the door. They'd been back at the precinct for barely five minutes, but already she was desperate to escape. It had been a hard day for the both of them, and he knew Lilly hadn't taken it well. Hell, he hadn't taken it well, he couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her head. He sighed heavily and sat down, resting his head in his hands.

Making her way towards the elevator, Lilly felt more and more tired with every step she took. She needed to sleep, to forget the past day, even if it was only for a few hours. She wished she'd driven to work that morning, not feeling like walking home. Reaching the elevator, she pressed the button and leant against the wall. After what felt like hours, the elevator arrived and she stepped in, glad to see there was nobody else inside. As the doors began to close, she started to breathe a sigh of relief, but her stopped herself when a hand slid between the doors and re-opened them.

"Sorry," Scotty muttered as he stepped inside next to her. He noticed the annoyed look cross her face, but didn't say anything. Instead, he took her lack of a reply as a hint that she didn't want to talk. As the doors closed and the elevator began to move, the silence grew even more tense, but still neither of the partners said anything.

When they reached the ground floor, Scotty turned to face her, but Lilly raised her hand to stop him from speaking.

"Don't, Scotty. Just leave it, okay?" She looked at the floor. Scotty shrugged.

"Fine," he replied, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice. If Lilly had noticed it, however, she chose to ignore it. Before it had registered to Scotty that the doors had opened, Lilly was out of sight. Groaning, he followed her, not wanting to leave it at that.

"Hey, Lil, wait up," he called, quickening his pace. Lilly stopped and turned around slowly.

"What?" she snapped.

"You okay?" Scotty asked, stopping in front of her. She looked away.

"I just want to get home," she replied, avoiding his question.

"You want to talk 'bout what happened?" He knew he shouldn't push her, but he had to know how she was doing.

"Can't you just leave it alone?"

"No, I can't!" He paused, taking a step forwards, before continuing in a softer voice. "Lil, I just want to know you're okay." Lilly nodded.

"Honestly, I'm not even sure," she said hesitantly. "What Smith said, it just... It brought back a load of memories I wish I could forget."

"Well, if you need to talk..." He trailed off.

"I know. Just say hey, right?" Scotty chuckled.

"Yeah. Exactly." He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. "I mean it, Lil. Anytime."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Need a ride home?"

"Sure," she replied, following Scotty towards his car. "Don't expect me to be good company, though."

"S'okay, we got the radio." He smiled.

Lilly groaned. "I think I'd rather walk."

* * *

As Scotty stopped the car outside of Lilly's house, she didn't make a move to open the door. She's been silent for most of the drive, only speaking once to tell him how bad his choice on radio station was. Scotty glanced over at her, worried she'd closed up again. He reached over and put a hand on her arm, and she jumped slightly.

"Sorry," he said quietly, and started to move his hand away, but stopped when she grabbed it and laced her fingers through his. She looked away again, resting their hands in her lap. They sat in silence for a while, Lilly watching the empty street outside and Scotty watching her. Finally, she broke the silence.

"I didn't know what to say. When he said I knew about running away. How did he know, Scotty?" She didn't take her eyes off the street in front of her.

"He was just tryin' to get to you."

"Well, he succeeded," she replied quickly.

"Hey, he got to me, too." Lilly looked around at him and smiled slightly.

"Kinda got that. Thanks for doing what you did, though." Scotty laughed.

"Anytime."

"Really?"

"If someone says somethin' like that to you, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again." He smiled, squeezing her hand. She looked away, suddenly overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze.

"Let me walk you to the door," Scotty said, stepping out of the car. Lilly nodded and followed his lead.

They walked up to the door in silence. Lilly rummaged in her bag for a moment, trying to find her keys, before digging them out and unlocked the door. Before she could push the door open, however, Scotty grabbed her hand and pulled her around to face him. She collided with his chest, gasping and he moved his hand up to her face. Knowing there was no point in trying to pull away, she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

Scotty smiled at her lack of hesitancy, and leant forwards to touch his lips against hers. When she still didn't hesitate, he moved his other hand to her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. After a few moments, she pulled away, needing to breathe. She rested her hand on his chest, keeping some distance between them.

He took a deep breath, wondering if she'd changed her mind. He moved his hands down to hers, before taking a step backwards.

"Sorry, Lil. I'm just gonna go and..." He trailed off, turning away and walking down the steps. Lilly watched him, taking a few seconds to realise what had just happened.

"Where are you going?" she called after him, but he didn't stop.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Scotty!" She started down the steps after him, grabbing his wrist. "Would you please wait?"

"Wha-" he started to say, but was cut off by her kissing him gently. "Lilly..."

"I love you." Lilly smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. Burying his head into hair, Scotty smiled widely, holding her close against him.

"I love you, too," he whispered.

Pulling away, Lilly kissed his cheek before turning back and walking up the steps. When she got to the top, she stopped, looking over her shoulder at him.

"You coming?" she asked, smiling. Scotty nodded, running up the steps to join her.

"Definitely."

* * *

Aw, how cute! Don't you just love them? Well, I do! They're hard to write like that, though, because it's OOC. Sorry about that, but you have to love the fluffy-ness. Thanks to everyone who read, especially those who reviewed. One last review? Please? You know you want to.


End file.
